I’d be greatly surprised if you haven’t sat through at least one – or perhaps a dozen – online meetings in the past fifteen months. We all hurriedly jumped online in an effort to carry on with life during Covid. Now, as things open up, we might be tempted to believe our Zooming days are finally over. Can I be the first to say I seriously doubt it. More and more corporate environments are learning that it's cheaper to leave us at home – at least part of the time. In all likelihood, we will be transitioning into some form of hybrid state.

That being said, perhaps it might be time to up our game when it comes to looking our best in front of the camera. Here’s a few tips:

1. Lighting

Avoid “Shady Face” if at all possible. Lighting really does matter, so we should play with various sources. Eye glass reflection can be overcome!

2. Color

Often, we are tempted to choose darker backgrounds, such as the regal cherry bookcase, but it’s also wise to experiment with lighter colors as well. Some of us will look great one way and some will create a better image with another. Find out which works best for you.

3. Dress Code

Dress like you would if you were physically in the room. That should go without saying, but it’s amazing how many people will try the yoga-pant or shorts-suitcoat just because they are home. We’ve all seen the videos. Additionally, plain solid colors are still the all-time winners on the screen.

4.  Postioning

Scoot back from the camera. Distance and angle help to determine professionality as well. The closer we get to the camera, the bigger chance we take that our features will be distorted to the viewer. If the camera angle is tilted upwards underneath our face, the results can be extremely unbecoming. Eye-to-eye is the best position of all – even if you have to create a Jenga-like tower to achieve the height you need.

As weary as we presently may be with online presentations, we cannot afford to be so fatigued that we fail to represent ourselves in the best way possible. The meeting is not the goal. It’s all about our professional future